| Popis: |
Overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence has been growing epidemic in the last 30 years, with 5%–25% affected young people in Europe. Body mass index plotted on percentile charts for age and sex is the gold standard diagnostic. According to World Health Organization, cutoff points are 85th–97th percentile for overweight and ≥97th percentile for obesity. Sedentary and poor eating habits are the main etiologic factors. Being overweight and obese at a young age stimulates early puberty, a premature adrenarche, and accelerates linear growth. Increase in leptin, sex steroids, insulin, insulin growth factor-1, insulin resistance and a reduction in sex hormone–binding globulin have been identified. Almost all the systems in the human body are affected by being overweight and obese. These conditions also worsen young people’s quality of life and are linked to various psychological and behavioral problems. The increase in pediatric obesity is alarming because of its association with health and is a critical early risk factor for adult morbidity and mortality. |
